NEWS
Organising Committee Announces Date for Commencement of Abia Soccer Fest
The Local Organising Committee for the Abia Soccer Fest ASF has announced August 23, 2025, as kickoff date of the grassroot competition across the 17 LGAs of the State.
The football tournament, organised by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, is aimed at identifying young footballing talents from between the ages of 16 and 23 years across the 184 wards.
Addressing at a press conference on Friday, at the JAAC Secretariat, Umuahia, on the progress made so far after the inauguration of the organising committee on 1st July, 2025, the Vice Chairman, Local Organising Committee (LOC) of Abia Football Festival (ASF), Captain Eric Asomugha highlighted the stages of the competition culminating in the final.
“We have 184 wards in Abia State, from 17 local government areas, competing in a total of 202 matches, over 6 or 7 months. We are working on different things. We are going to have the best player of each match,” Asomugha said.
“We shall be inviting scouts from local, state, national and international to fish out the talents that are going to be discovered in this great tournament.
“So, every good player has an opportunity to progress beyond this tournament. Moving forward, we are going to have a draw. We have three senatorial districts in Abia State. We are going to hold a draw in each of these zones for the local governments under them.”
Some members of the press at the event
He disclosed that the committee will hold seminars to educate the officials and the participants on the rules of the game and keep them updated of recent happenings in the world of the sports.
He said that the seminar would begin on Tuesday 13 August for Abia South, at the Aba South LGA hall, 15th, at Ohafia headquarters for Abia North and the 16th, in Umuahia for the Abia Central zone.
Asomugha, who described the Abia competition as the first of its kind in the State, thanked Governor Alex Otti for his interest in sports development.
The Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Nwaobilor Ananaba said the football tournament is a sustainable project for discovering and nurturing talents that will represent the state in the national and international arena, adding that there will be no discrimination in State of origin as everyone living in Abia State is qualified for participation.
Adding his voice, the Chairman, House Committee on Sports and Youth Development and Member, representing Umuahia Central in Abia State House Assembly, Chinasa Anthony pointed out that the project is not basically for entertainment but talent hunt, as it will provide an opportunity for bringing talented Abia youths to limelight.